A 65-year-old woman with Parkinson’s disease played her clarinet during deep brain stimulation surgery at King’s College Hospital, providing surgeons with immediate audible evidence of the procedure’s success.
Denise Bacon, a retired speech and language therapist from Crowborough, East Sussex, had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2014. The condition had affected her ability to walk, swim, dance, and play her instrument. She underwent deep brain stimulation (DBS) to combat symptoms such as bradykinesia and muscle stiffness.
During the four-hour operation, Professor Keyoumars Ashkan implanted electrodes in Ms Bacon’s brain. “Holes half the size of a five pence piece were made in Denise’s skull after a frame with precise coordinates was placed on her head, acting as a sat nav,” he said. Once the current was switched on, an immediate improvement was noted in her hand movements.
Ms Bacon, who had played in the East Grinstead Concert Band until five years ago, said: “I remember my right hand being able to move with much more ease once the stimulation was applied, and this in turn improved my ability to play the clarinet.”
She opted for a rechargeable pulse generator battery implanted in her chest, which can last up to 20 years. Professor Ashkan noted that DBS is one of the most effective therapies for Parkinson’s motor symptoms, and modern advances allow personalisation to improve quality of life.
